New parents are almost always in a state of, “Are we forgetting something?” That feeling starts early as you baby proof your home, and then it shows up nearly every time you leave your home with your child after that.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Today, we’re going to focus on baby-proofing your home and 3 crucial steps that many parents forget about.
Here are 3 things you need to be aware of, and what you should do about them.
Your Television Set
Is your television mounted to the wall? If it is, that is a big step to keeping it out of the danger zone. However, you still want to make sure the cords are neatly tucked out of harm’s way.
If your TV is sitting on a stand, that poses a bigger risk of falling. You should definitely look into adding some well-placed furniture straps to nullify the risks of the TV falling forward. These are very affordable and can make a big difference.
However, your best bet is to mount the TV to the wall. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, Best Buy’s Geek Squad specializes in safe and custom TV mounting.
Your Garage Door
If you live in an older home, you already know that it immediately poses more baby-proofing challenges, with older fixtures, older doors, and older everything. However, don’t forget about the older garage door!
If your garage door or garage door opener was installed prior to 1993, it may not have those safety sensors at the bottom that stop the door from closing when something is in its path. These are absolutely crucial if you have kids or pets.
If you’re wondering what other safety features are available, we invite you to click here to learn more about today’s modern garage door technology. You can also make your life a lot easier with a Wi-Fi enabled garage door opener.
Your Home’s Windows
You have probably already thought to safely and neatly tuck away your blinds’ loose cords or wands. When they’re left unchecked, tiny hands love to find them and pull on them, which is obviously a danger.
You may also consider installing window guards. These are telescoping bars that slide out to fit in your window to provide extra protection. Some parent’s don’t love the look of these and think they look like a “baby jail.” However, the higher the room, the more important these bars could be.
You can also get window stops, which act as a wedge to keep the window from opening more than a few inches. You may also want to consider shard-proof window films, which can make sure your home doesn’t fill with hundreds of tiny shards of glass if something does happen to the window.
Will your home ever be 100% baby-proof? Well, think of it as an ongoing work in progress. As your child develops more skills and abilities, they will also unlock new levels of trouble they can get into. So, do as much homework as you can today and do your best to stay ahead of the curve.
